at the sea's edge
by backtohogwarts
Summary: Teddy visits Dominique on the night before his wedding.


**A/N: Written for the Last Kiss Competition.**

**A review would be really helpful as I'm just getting back into fanfiction writing and would like to know what I can improve upon.**

**Hope you enjoy! :)**

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><p>I've always thought star gazing to be a pointless hobby, at least up until now. I've never been good at astronomy, I always get too distracted by trivial things to notice the inner beauty of the celestial objects drifting far above my head. But now, as I lie on the beach and gaze up at the stars, I start to become captivated. They are certainly stunning, they shine like a million tiny diamonds against the dark velvet sheet that is the night sky. They are not beautiful though; they cannot even begin to compare with the people I've seen or the places I've visited. Try that I might, I can't figure them out, they shine together, but in reality they are so far apart. They shine and they shine, desperately trying to touch one another until one day they over-exert themselves and they shatter into thousands of tiny fragments.<p>

I close my eyes and touch the cool, soft sand beneath my fingers. What's to say that it's not stardust? What's to say it's not still shining and the beings on the stars up above are looking down and seeing it in all its glory? What's to say I'm not a dark, lonely silhouette against the brilliance of my very own star? It would be named Victoire because, like her, its beauty would never fade. The silhouette would be called Dominique – the black sheep, and it would make people wonder. They'd wonder why it was there, so shamelessly reducing its companion's charm. It would show Victoire up and people would begin to hate its isolated form. They would despise it and ignore it and...

The faint sound of shifting sand disturbs me from my daydream. The only reason I can hear it is because I'm subconsciously listening out for him. The roar of the violent waves as they crash into the eroding cliff faces at the sea's edge should be loud enough to drown out any other sound. No little thing like that would keep me from Teddy though, his every move captivates in a way that I can't even attempt to explain.

"Last chance," I say, sounding surprisingly calm considering all my jumbled emotions are jumping around inside my head. I don't even open my eyes as I speak; I know who it is, it can't be anyone else. My words may sound ominous but he knows exactly what I mean. That's the harsh reality of our situation.

"This is goodbye," he responds. His voice is formal and reserved, he's being _Victoire's_ Teddy, not _my _Teddy. He's treating me like a stranger and I can't pretend it doesn't hurt. My eyes flutter open but I make no attempt to move. There is a long silence as I gaze up at the only man I've ever loved. His hair is a sandy blonde and it lies flat against his head, not in any way styled and his eyes... They're magnificent, their iridescence would make any man, woman or child simply stop and stare. They contain every colour of the rainbow and more, like soap bubbles on a summers day.

He eventually takes a seat next to where I'm lay, splayed out on the beach, my flaming red hair licking up the sand like a blazing inferno. I give him a weak smile which he does not return, he just stares out at the ocean with a haunted look in his incredible eyes.

"Why is this goodbye?" I ask, placing a delicate hand on his leg. "It doesn't have to be."

"Yes it does, Dominique. You and I both know it does." He sighs and he aims to remove my hand but once it's within his grasp he doesn't let go, I can see the pain in his eyes. His façade is gone.

"Give me a reason then, Teddy." I say, sitting up to face him. I'm pretty sure that my inner turmoil is evident in my tone and expression. "And don't give me any crap about Victoire because if you loved me, _if you truly loved me,_ it wouldn't matter to you so much!"

Teddy drops my hand as if it has burnt him and he jumps up, scowling at me. I bite my lip. I've made him angry. I, Dominique Gabrielle Weasley, have made Teddy Remus Lupin _angry_. I've known Teddy since I was born and I've never seen him like this before.

"Really, Dominique?" He spits. "Is that all you think of me? You think that I don't care about _anyone_ other than you? You really don't know me at all, do you?"

"That's not what I meant!" I cry, clambering up. "I don't want you to marry _her_! Iwant you to pick _me_!"

Tears are streaming freely down my face now and Teddy's anger seems to have fizzled out. He now looks pained. He steps closer to me and cups my face in his soft hands.

"I'm a promised man; you know that. I don't break promises and I promised Victoire that I'd always be there for her." He speaks in a gentle tone. "I was young and foolish but I meant it, every last word. After tomorrow, this-" he gestures between us - "becomes a sin."

I ponder all he has said, scarcely able to believe that we are even having this conversation. I'd known this day was coming but I'd never envisioned it. Not really. _Teddy will leave her._ I'd kept telling myself. I'd been wrong. My head is a messed up pile of unbearable emotions and irrational thoughts. Without Teddy, my life won't be _whole. _I'll never love any man as much as I love him, I know that for certain.

"Please," I say in a barely audible whisper. It's all I can think of to say. I would get down on my knees and beg him if I thought it would make any difference.

He doesn't answer, but I can see traces of tears in his eyes. He leans forward and in a glorious moment our lips meet and our tears mix together like two rivers leading into the ocean. He's in no way rough or passionate, he's gentle and caring and when he starts to pull away I lace my hands into his hair, not allowing him. If this is our last kiss, I'm never letting him go.

After a short while, he takes hold of my hands from around his head and lowers them, breaking our embrace. He stares at our entwined fingers for a long time, remaining eerily silent.

"I'll always love you, Dominique Weasley," he says and with that he leaves me. I'm inconsolable and I scream and howl, hoping that the more I let out, the faster my heart will fix itself.

When my tears run dry, my chest heaves in a way that is physically painful, mirroring the pain of my shattered heart. I manage to stagger over to the edge of the beach.

"I love you!" I choke out, but he's already long gone.


End file.
